Diet was assessed at baseline by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire and categorized into 5 dietary patterns: nonvegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, lacto-ovo–vegetarian, and vegan.

In more detail:

Dietary patterns were determined according to the reported intake of foods of animal origin. Thus,

vegans consumed eggs/dairy, fish, and all other meats less than 1 time/mo;lacto-ovo–vegetarians consumed eggs/dairy 1 time/mo or more but fish and all other meats less than 1 time/mo;pesco-vegetarians consumed fish 1 time/mo or more but all other meats less than 1 time/mo;semi-vegetarians consumed nonfish meats 1 time/mo or more and all meats combined (fish included) 1 time/mo or more but no more than 1 time/wk;and last, nonvegetarians consumed nonfish meats 1 time/mo or more and all meats combined (fish included) more than 1 time/wk.

For some analyses, the 4 vegetarian categories (vegan, lacto-ovo–vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, and semi-vegetarian) were combined as “vegetarian.”

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

"And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]

I think if you look at the sample size of the different groups, you'll see the prevalence of the different groups among SDAs'

Obviously their combining of four categories like that is not very well thought out.

I still don't think the study compared vegan to vegetarian, but rather lumped them together, in all my experience being raised strict vegetarian SDA in Loma Linda where the study was based, I've never heard of SDA vegans like you do in traditional vegetarian groups, its all based on the teachings of their founder and she never said anything against eating eggs and dairy, as far as I know, so like I said I would predict any study based on SDAs is going to have a very small sample of vegans, and about 50% true lacto ovo vegetarians.

18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community that has so generously given me so much, sincerely former monk John

I should point out that SDA teachings have nothing whatsoever to do with reducing suffering for animals, and everything to do with personal health. In fact Loma Linda University Medical Centre has had and has one of the biggest animal experimentation facilities in Southern California, they actually kept Chimps locked up in small cages just so dental students could practise oral surgery, and all their infant heart surgery was practised on sheep, Brain surgery experiments done on stray cats etc etc etc.

18 years ago I made one of the most important decisions of my life and entered a local Cambodian Buddhist Temple as a temple boy and, for only 3 weeks, an actual Therevada Buddhist monk. I am not a scholar, great meditator, or authority on Buddhism, but Buddhism is something I love from the Bottom of my heart. It has taught me sobriety, morality, peace, and very importantly that my suffering is optional, and doesn't have to run my life. I hope to give back what little I can to the Buddhist community that has so generously given me so much, sincerely former monk John